The present invention relates to a library apparatus to store many cartridges for accommodating memory media. A library apparatus is a so-called information processor to record and read the data to and from a desired cartridge accommodating a memory medium.
In more detail, the present invention relates to a library apparatus for automatically cleaning a hand of an accessor robot for transferring a plurality of cartridges provided in the library apparatus.
A library apparatus can accommodate a plurality of cartridges accommodating a memory medium such as a magnetic tape or an optical disc or the like. The library apparatus comprises a cartridge access station (CAS) for loading and exhausting a cartridge, a cell unit including a plurality of cells to store the loaded cartridges and a drive unit for executing the processes such as recording and reproduction of information to and from a medium of the cartridge.
Transfer of cartridge within the library apparatus, namely transfer of cartridge between the cell and drive unit and transfer of cartridge between CAS and cell are executed with the accessor robot having a pair of hands to hold a cartridge. The accessor robot is provided to run by itself within the library apparatus.
The accessor robot holds a cartridge allocated in the CAS and cell explained above by holding it with a pair of hands.
A pair of hands to hold the cartridge is provided with a cartridge pulling member to rotate around the external circumference thereof. Usually, as this pulling member, a rubber material is used to make it easier to hold the cartridge. Therefore, a friction coefficient between the holding surface of hands and the cartridge can be enhanced.
After holding the cartridge, the hand rotates the rubber material to pull out the cartridge from the cell or the like.
Moreover, when a cartridge is to be stored to the cell or the like, the hand is provided opposed to an aperture such as the cell to rotate the rubber material in the opposite direction.
In a large size library apparatus, the cartridge is transferred for several thousands of times a day with the accessor robot. At the time of this transfer, dusts adhered to the cartridge is gradually adhered to the rubber material of the hand provided to the accessor robot and is then deposited.
When dusts are adhered as explained above, the friction coefficient of the rubber material is lowered. Therefore, the cartridge can no longer be pulled out easily with the hands. Otherwise, there is also a fear that the cartridge is dropped from the accessor robot in the course of the transfer of the accessor robot.
If the cartridge cannot be pulled out, it is a serious defect of the library apparatus. Moreover, not only the cartridge dropped from the accessor robot may be broken with the mechanical operation of the internal devices but also the memory medium itself stored in the cartridge may be broken, resulting in the fear that a serious fault such as missing of data may be generated.
In view of eliminating such unexpected fault, operation of the apparatus is stopped in current for the purpose of maintenance of apparatus when a constant period has passed. While the operation is stopped, a maintenance person can eliminate dusts by cleaning the surface of rubber material of the hands with a solvent such as alcohol or the like.
However, this method inevitably interrupts the operation of the information processing system to which a library apparatus as the maintenance object is connected and therefore workability is remarkably deteriorated.
Moreover, in these years, continuous operations of the information processor are generally executed and it is difficult to suspend the information processing system by stopping the library apparatus. For example, in some cases, it is required to continuously execute the work for six months and unexpected trouble may probably be generated because it is difficult to prepare the time for maintenance.
The present invention has been proposed to solve such problems and it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a library apparatus for conducting the automatically cleaning to the rubber material of the hand.
The present invention is provided with the following structure to attain the object explained above. Namely, the library apparatus of the present invention is provided with a special cartridge for cleaning the hand in the cell unit comprising a plurality of cells to accommodate the cartridge to store the memory media. This cartridge has a structure, unlike an ordinary cartridge, that cannot be pulsed out from the cell.
Therefore, when the accessor robot tries to pull out the special cartridge for cleaning from the cell, the rubber material and cartridges execute relative movement while these are placed in contact.
Thereby, the cleaning to eliminate dusts adhered to the surface of the rubber material of hands can be realized.
Moreover, the library apparatus of the present invention is provided with a control unit to control the movement of the accessor robot. This control unit counts up the number of times of holding of the cartridge with the accessor robot. It is just preferable to control the accessor robot to clean the rubber material of hands when the number of times has reached the preset number of times.
According to the library apparatus of the present invention, the rubber material provided to the external circumference of the hand can be cleaned automatically. Therefore, the cartridge can surely be held with the hands. Accordingly, an accident such as drop of cartridge can be prevented to improve reliability. As a result, troublesome maintenance can be reduced thereby to improve workability.